Liu Xiaoming'S Speech At The Opening Ceremony Of The Forbidden City Royal Costumes Exhibition

Dear Mr. Paul Radok, chairman of the board of directors of the Vitoria and Albert museums.

Dear sir Mark Jones, curator of Vitoria and Albert Museum,

Mr. Li Ji, executive vice president of the the Imperial Palace Museum,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

I'm very glad to attend tonight.

The exhibition will show the British public the collection of the the Imperial Palace Museum during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

"Clothing is the representation of culture, and clothing is the image of thought."

When we appreciate these exquisite works of ancient Chinese clothing, we may have more understanding and understanding of China's perspective:

First, from the outside to the inside.

Chinese ancient people divided their daily life into four aspects: clothing, food, shelter and travel, of which clothing ranked first.

Chinese costumes reflect the level of production development in different periods in China, embodying social system, religious belief, living customs and aesthetic taste, reflecting the growth and development of the Chinese nation in the dual aspects of material culture and spiritual culture.

Therefore, clothing is "wearing on the body of history."

Today, from the Royal costume of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, we can not only see the ingenuity and exquisite skills of the Chinese at that time, but also see the social customs and customs of Ming etiquette, clothing and manners.

It can be said that today's exhibition has opened an important window for us to understand Chinese traditional culture.

The two is from ancient to modern times.

Costumes are mirrors of the times, reflecting the style of the times and changing with the times.

Today's China, compared with hundreds of years ago, the change is "a sea of things", and the political, economic and social systems have undergone tremendous changes, so dress has also undergone a pformative pformation.

Even after 30 years of reform and opening up, Chinese clothing has also changed from "blue" to "colorful butterfly".

I hope you can not only understand the ancient China that once created brilliant culture, but also see a modern China pursuing progress and prosperity.

The three is from point to face.

In recent years, the exhibition of "the Imperial Palace of the world" and the exhibition of Chinese Qin Dynasty Terracotta Army have been held in London, attracting many British people. This exhibition is another crystallization of the sincere cooperation between the top Chinese and British Museums.

Culture is the best bridge for people to communicate their minds.

The historical background, social system and values of China and Britain are different, but this should not be an obstacle to the cultural exchanges between the two countries.

The ancient Chinese said, "real life is not the same."

There are differences between Chinese and English cultures, but it is precisely because of differences that they attract each other and need mutual understanding.

The results of cultural exchanges between China and Britain also fully show that different cultures learn from each other and learn from each other before they can develop and flourish together.

At present, Sino British relations are at a new starting point and are facing new opportunities for development. I sincerely hope that the Chinese and British cultural circles will make joint efforts to continuously strengthen cultural exchanges and cooperation, enhance the understanding and friendship between the two peoples, and make positive contributions to the continuous development of Sino British Relations.

Finally, I wish the "Forbidden City Royal clothing exhibition" a complete success.

Thank you.